PARIS, 17 June 2009 Officials at Sagem Groupe SAFRAN Corp. chose the Air Data Computer (ADC) from Air Data in Montreal Quebec, for the company's helicopter avionics upgrade program.
Air Data made the announcement this week at the Paris Air Show.
The ADC computes different navigation parameters using high precision pressure sensors. Air Data's ADCs are designed to provide precise flight data parameters for a variety of aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) avionics systems.
The sensors consist of vibrating cylinders that offer high accuracy and reliability – no calibration required, Air Data officials say. Operational speed and altitude ranges are determined by selecting the desired operational range of the sensors.
Air Data makes custom and off the shelf products, says Francois Hervieux, director of sales at Air Data. The ADC for Sagem is directly off the shelf with a MIL-STD 1553 databus, he adds.
Hervieux says 1553 is still popular for military and commercial applications. Many choose 1553 because it is a military standard, and therefore reliable, he adds.
Typically 1553 ends up in retrofit applications while the ARINC 429 standard is popular in new designs, Hervieux says.
